The lovable, bumbling Michael Steele-era Republican party had never won a special election—until this weekend, when Honolulu Councilman Charles Djou won Hawaii's special election to replace retired Congressman Neil Abercrombie. It was due, obviously, to the Djouish-controlled media.

The sad, hilarious Republican party hasn't been having a great year, electorally (they have been doing fine at their other job, which is "ruining the world"). They belly-flopped on Tuesday, losing a winnable special election in Pennsylvania. And their chosen candidate in Kentucky's Senate primary, Trey Greyson, lost to Rand Paul, who, you may have heard, has some "unorthodox" views about the Civil Rights Act, such as, it was wrong (we hear, doesn't even like Lost).

But, like any team of scrappy misfit underdogs, Republicans finally had their day. Today, in fact! Charles Djou's underdog victory in Obama's home district was a brief ray of sunshine—Hawaiian sunshine, duh—in an otherwise bad string of election results. Djou carried 40 per cent of the vote in a field with two viable Democratic challengers: former Congressman Ed Case, who had the backing of the national party, and State Senator Colleen Hanabusa, who was supported by Senator Daniel Inouye.

The two Democrats combined for 60 per cent of the vote. But it was almost definitely Djou's message of "cut spending and prevent men from marrying each other" that connected with voters. Republican fever: Have you caught it yet?

[Star-Bulletin; pic via AP]